Union Leaders Hold New Yorkers Hostage

On June 30th, Consolidated Edison’s (Con Ed) contract with Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) expired. After the union leaders failed to come to an agreement with Con Ed management, citing Con Ed’s plan to turn their pensions into 401ks and provide the workers with fewer benefits as their reasons for ending the talks, the workers were locked out and began protesting.

Let me start by explaining that, though it is common for the actions of union leaders to range from thoughtless to deplorable, the attitude of the Local 1-2 leaders is extremely selfish, irresponsible, and on the verge of criminal. New York City is being pounded by heat waves, meaning that air conditioning usage is going to increase. And because the workers have decided to strike, if something happens to go wrong, elderly citizens will now be at risk due to the heat and Con Ed managers may be injured trying to fix the problem.

Just to highlight the potential severity of the union’s actions, let’s look at what occurred earlier this week along the East Coast. After storms knocked out power in Maryland, three heat related deaths were reported, with two of the victims being 65 or older. The union leadership should have accepted Con Ed’s terms since many New Yorkers may be facing heat stroke and heat exhaustion if power is lost due to the current heat wave. Furthermore, the 5,000 Con Ed managers running operations and responding to emergencies in the workers’ stead have been put in danger by the union. On Monday, one manager was burned in a substation fire in Bensonhurst and another was injured Wednesday in a manhole explosion on the Upper West Side. Union spokesman John Melia tried to shift the blame to the company, stating, “They’re going to kill somebody,” after hearing about the manhole explosion, but the UWUA is the real culprit.

As for the criminal aspect I mentioned above, I was referencing a very stupid statement posted on the Occupy Support for UWUA Local 1-2 Facebook page, which appears to be controlled by a UWUA member. Most people understand that overworked generators and overloaded transmission lines can lead to blackouts or brownouts. In fact, Con Ed caused a brownout Wednesday night, by deliberately decreasing the voltage in several Brooklyn neighborhoods in an effort to reduce the strain on the grid. A utility worker would most definitely know this, yet someone claiming to be a UWUA member posted this, “Starting July 5th, show support for UWUA local 1-2 by turning on all your electricity for Five minutes at 6pm every day.” It has since been taken down, but it was very irresponsible to post in the first place and could have had dire consequences.

Union leaders have also hurt their own in their pursuit of a strong-armed victory. Con Ed offered to extend the workers’ old contract through July, thus providing them with continued health coverage, but the union leaders prohibited this. The union members should be upset at their leadership for the loss of their health benefits, but many are too blind and instead blame the company for the union’s own actions.

I am now going to address the unfair criticism Con Ed has received for its treatment of the workers. On the surface, it would seem that Con Ed is just a big, greedy corporation looking to make a profit. Beneath the surface, well, it actually looks just about the same. Con Ed is, after all, a corporation and the main function of a corporation is to return profits, preferably large ones, to its owners. Because Con Ed is public, it is constantly faced with a duty to its shareholders. It therefore needs to ensure that its stock continues to increase in value. Con Ed already increased its rates by 10% in 2010 due to labor costs and the high price of maintaining its underground distribution system. With its stocks dipping over the past few months it is no wonder Con Ed tried to get a better deal with the new contracts. This may seem unfair to the workers, but it is understandable from a business perspective.

The union members claim the deaths of any elderly citizens due to heat will be on the company’s hands, but I don’t see it that way. Even if Con Ed was bullying the workers, they should still submit to the company in order to prevent the dozens of injuries that have happened and might still happen. But Local 1-2 executive board member Salvatore Guercio made his union’s intentions very clear when he said, “We’re gonna do whatever it takes until we get a good contract.” They could have accepted the offer they were provided with, but they chose to take New York hostage instead. To union officials, winning disputes over pensions and benefits packages is more important than the lives of the people of New York City.

20 Comments

Kudos! Mr. McGrath Individuals should be free to negotiate the terms of their employment individually. If this were the case here, I can almost guarantee that the current crisis would not be happening.

Organized Unions became a run-off of organized crime in the late thirties and have endured with the help of their lobbyists making payment to organized government representatives with a bent toward larceny. These actions in turn have taken liberty from the workers and forced most into bondage to the unions. It has to be stopped, not later, not tomorrow but now.

See, I knew union workers were vicious going in so noting you say, no matter how vile, will bother me. However, I will humor you once with a string of responses.

First off, the “went on strike” part was completely false, and if I had read my final draft more carefully, would not have been published. It’s been fixed, but still, my bad.

Second off, everything else in the article is taken from sources (follow the blue links), so if those facts are off, that’s not on me.
@John Hammond: my statement about the stocks being down IS true, just follow the link. Sure, they had a record year last year, but that doesn’t mean a small dip didn’t occur earlier this year.
@Laura: the first paragraph does state Con Ed locked out the workers, so I don’t see where the problem is with that. And the linked article says Con Ed offered to extend the benefits, but the offer was rejected (@Michael – he also confirmed this in his comment).

As for Ivey, props to him. I would ban unions if it were up to me. Hell, I would be a union buster for free. Consider it community service.

Now, as that was a good segue, I will address the personal attacks, because I feel like it (aka, I’m bored):
1. I have no dad and my mother is unemployed, I can’t rely on “my parents money” to get me through college because that income is around $0.00. I earned my way (full ride) into one of the most expensive universities in the U.S., so you are dead wrong Capricola.
2. I have made many contributions to society, including tons of community service and preparing to go into public interest law.
3. I do work as Walmart, as a cashier, and I’m proud to say that I can take care of myself over the summer by working an honest job instead of relying on welfare, which I could easily do as a college student with no money.

You conveniently left out the second half of the sentence, the part about “in order to prevent injuries or death.” Besides, it would only be a two week “submission” to the company (a contract extension to get them through the heatwave). You make it sound like I want them to submit to a whole new contract, all I wanted to see was some responsible negotiating.

According to the workers’ contracts and union membership could they strike without breaking the contracts? If so, then the company should be fully liable. Otherwise it’s a bit more complicated as the company might technically be responsible, but if it was due to workers’ breaking their contracts, then it’s their fault.

Adam you are a tool you have no idea what you are talking about. Con ed is trying to bust the union up take the billions in the pension and sell the company. they locked out the workers because the union would not promise not to strike. the ceo kevin the jerk burke called up and cancelled there health insurance the hired a union buster and disguised him as the president of the company craig poison ivey. so get your facts right you little tool of a man

This would be great as a fantasy story. You have so many facts wrong this article is a joke. A real journalist would be fired. The union did not strike. Con Ed Locked it’s workers out. It’s kids like yourself who spend thousands of dollars of their parents money going to college,graduate just to work at Best buy for 8 dollars an hour. Before you tear union’s and it’s workers apart just remember. It’s because of unions that we have a 40 hour work week,get paid overtime and are protected by many labor laws. That applies to union and non union workers. Can you tell me what contribution you and other young people have made for the labor movement. except existing on a substandard living, Moving back to mom and dad’s house and writing moronic articles like this for no pay.

There is no point in even addressing this. Dude, go back to Journalism school…wherever it is you’re going. Get a refund. Your story is so full of inaccuracies, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Locked out and went on strike? Give in? Crikey…if I wasn’t sure I’d get a random the day we go back I would beg you to pass that j over here because that is some quality green you got.

Dude, get your facts straight before you go on citing that the union leaders are holding New Yorkers hostage. First of all, it was Con Edison that decided to end contract negotiations and locked their union employees out, they did not go on strike. The reason was because the union refused to give Con Edison 7 days notice prior to a potential strike, which is the bargaining power of the union. Where was the notice from Con Edison before locking out union employees at 2 A.M. on Sunday?

I agree that the company has the responsibility to meet its duty to the shareholders. However, a Con Edison spokesman said that they believed a contract can be negotiated that is FAIR to its employee and customers.In an average economy; Con Edison’s stock price is going up, the CEO’s salary is going up, and the cost of living is going up. In 2011, Con Edison set record revenues and profits in the billions. How is it considered fair that wages and benefits are being decreased?

Everyone has a different perspective, I’m not saying you’re wrong or I’m right. As a New Yorker, not only do I protest against corporate greed I believe that the blue collar workers who work hard and dangerously everyday should receive fair compensation, that is all. This is what all union members are asking for. They are not fighting to improve on benefits, they are fighting to keep their current benefits. It’s a possibility that their current benefits may have been worse than the prior contract too.

I hear the honking of many, many cars showing support for these union workers. These drivers who are honking are New Yorkers, these New Yorkers are also potential customers and these potential customers support the union workers. So please don’t write an article citing Union Leaders taking New Yorkers Hostage because this New Yorker feels extremely nothing of the sort.

Your article is missing key facts. #1 Con Ed offered to let the workers stay on the job ONLY if they wouldn’t strike. Con ED should have allowed the workers to stay on the job without making unfair demands.
FACT-less than 5% of CON ED customers bills go to the union workers salaries
CON ED wanted the workers to settle for a reduction in pension, medical payments to almost double.
You state-Con Ed already increased its rates by 10% in 2010 due to labor costs and the high price of maintaining its underground distribution system. With its stocks dipping over the past few months it is no wonder Con Ed tried to get a better deal with the new contracts
KEVIN BURKE AND HIS BOARD VOTED THEMSELVES 20% Raises. Why don’t they at the very least give up there HUGE RAISES AND STOCK BONUSES???? WHY SHOULD THE UNION WORKERS EXCEPT LARGE CUTS TO THEIR PENSIONS AND PAY HUGE MEDICAL INCREASES ??? STOP TRYING TO UNDERMIND LOCAL 1-2 AND THE WORKING CLASS.

One more thing they also cancelled our health insurance which we pay towards without notice for 8,500 workers and
families with many people with existing conditions ie. cancer, diabetes ..etc so who is holding who hostage Adam

I would like to clear up a few things since i am a union worker who has been with Con Ed for 25yrs. We are not on strike…we were locked out without notice because the union did not agree to extend the old contract for two weeks to
get the company past the heat wave. The union had agreed to continue negotiations with no contract until a settlement
was reached. Along with the 2 week extension the company wanted the union to agree to give 7 days notice if we were going to strike and when we didn’t agree the company locked us out while most of us were sleeping!!! The company has between 7 & 8 billion dollars in a pension fund that could pay past present and future workers for the rest of their lives without costing us customers a dime but the company wants that money too! We are not asking for anything more then
we have already but the company wants to take back allot even though they are making more money then ever and only 5% of our bills go towards our pay and benefits. I am a shareholder and when the recession started the stock was in the high $30 range and it closed on Friday over $62 and the high this year was just over $63 so there is no dip. Just to let you know I have never been to one union meeting in 25 yrs and I don’t think they are without faults but if it was not for unions there would be no middle class. Thank you.

Wow Adam, I hope you plan on staying in school a lot longer and getting all of your facts straight before writing an article that is totally inacurate. It is the Company (Con Ed) that locked out their union workers without any notice. It is the Company that cancelled all health insurance when many workers and their families have health issues. All New Yorkers should be infurated with the Company. The union workers just want what they have always had. Nothing more, nothing less. Get your facts straight buddy.

You must be one of the most simple minded morons ever. Your whole piece of garbage article is full of total misinformation. The company locked out the workers meaning the company kicked them out . They did not go on strike in any way. Also Con Edison stocks are higher then even they are not dipping in any way. They have had a didvidend payment increase for the last thirty six years straight. You are a prime reason of a fake journalist with nothing but false truths to spread. Please do some research before you write such garbage. i truly hope you can receive a refund for your college education cause you have just displayed what a waste of time that was.

First of all, maybe getting your facts straight before writing something would have been a good idea. The union did not go on strike, they were locked out by management. The union made it very clear that they were willing to come back without a contract until an agreement could be made, the company declined. So all this talk of irresponsibility and thoughtlessness on the part of the union for “holding NYC hostage” should be directed at the company. Second, the fact that you actually believe that lowering the cost of labor for the company would result in lower rates for their customers is beyond baffling. The company has one goal in mind, profit at any cost. If they save money on their labor force, the savings will most definitely be passed on to their customers in the form of reduced rates or even in a smaller increase in rates when the time comes and they apply for one with the public service commission. As far as I see it the entire customer base of Con Ed should go on strike as well by holding off paying their bill until the companies rates are brought in line. It’s Con Ed, not the union or anyone else, that has been holding NYC hostage and they have been for years. You couldn’t possibly be more naive and deluded. Open your eyes, have an original thought, and, for your own sake, do a little research next time before you start letting whatever nonsense is rattling around in your head spill out onto a website.

If they save money on their labor force, the savings will most definitely NOT be passed on to their customers in the form of reduced rates or even in a smaller increase in rates when the time comes and they apply for one with the public service commission.